After losing her wings, Serena’s cries became even more heart-wrenching. However, Howard and his team were not the ones to show compassion.
After all, no matter how beautiful Serena appeared, she was, at her core, a Butterfly Fae.
They certainly didn’t have any unusual inclinations and surely harbored no feelings towards her.
Having severed the wings, the next step was relentless assault.
Yet, they had overlooked something!
The previous Butterfly Fae, after losing their wings, had virtually no ability to counterattack.
But Serena was, after all, a Butterfly Fae Chieftain. Nick and Mike, caught off guard, were instantly affected after just a few blows.
From Serena’s blazing red lips came a stream of multicolored pollen, settling directly onto Nick and Mike.
In an instant, both were frozen in place, their bodies stiffening.
Then, Nick collapsed with a thud, while Mike’s eyes turned blood-red. He seemed to lose all sense of himself as he swung his dagger, charging ferociously towards Howard and Abby.
It was then that the crisp alert of the system chimed in.
[Ding! Due to the influence of the skill — Hypnotic Pollen, Nick has entered the Stiffness state, lasting 3000 seconds. If harmed during this period, he may very likely enter the Sudden Death state!]
[Ding! Due to the influence of the skill — Hypnotic Pollen, Mike has entered the Trance state, lasting 3000 seconds. If harmed during this period, he may very likely enter the Sudden Death state!]
“Damn it!”
Upon seeing these alerts, Howard couldn’t help but curse under his breath.
The Sudden Death state, as the name suggests, is a unique condition that could directly result in death.
In other words, Howard couldn’t afford to attack Mike and Nick now, nor let them take any damage.
Fortunately, with the Butterfly Fae Chieftain Serena’s wings severed, even if she had the capability to release Hypnotic Pollen, she was devoid of other means of attack.
As long as Howard and Abby refrained from attacking Mike and Nick, the two would remain safe.
While Nick was unresponsive, lying peacefully on the ground, Mike had entered the Trance state and was now targeting Howard and Abby.
If Howard and Abby chose not to retaliate, their only option would be to flee. If they did resist, there was the looming risk of fatally injuring Mike.
For a moment, Howard and Abby exchanged helpless glances, caught in a dilemma.
Thankfully, once Mike had entered the Trance state, his movement speed had decreased, preventing him from rapidly closing in on them.
“Right! Let’s split up and lead Mike away. He’s an assassin; at a distance, he won’t be able to touch us!” Howard quickly came up with a plan.
“We’ll move while attacking Serena. But remember, don’t get close. If both of us fall victim, we’re done for.”
Howard’s words lent a grave tone to the situation, and Abby’s expression turned serious.
Without hesitation, they separated— one wielding a wand, the other drawing an arrow— both launching their assaults on Serena.
Upon seeing Howard and Abby split, Mike hesitated momentarily before chasing after Abby. .
Originally, Mike’s movement was already hampered, and this moment of uncertainty only widened the gap between them.
Howard and Abby, moving with the precision of mobile turrets, continuously barraged Serena, eliciting from her anguished screams.
To the unacquainted, it might have seemed like some wild skirmish unfolding.
Even Tana couldn’t help but blush. After all, she was still an innocent maiden!
Fortunately, after losing her wings, Serena could only deploy the Hypnotic Pollen skill.
While this skill was indeed elusive, it came with its constraints, necessitating close proximity for casting.
From a distance, the pollen would dissipate under the gentle caress of the breeze before even taking effect.
This was when Howard’s skills truly shone.
Wind Blade, Frost Arrow Spell, and Fireball, all had short cooldown times, enabling him to cycle through them without any gaps in between.
Coupled with his impressive equipment and high spirit, the damage he inflicted was substantial.
For a moment, Serena’s health rapidly declined.
After an unrelenting onslaught that lasted a good three minutes, Serena’s HP finally plummeted to its lowest. With a heart-rending scream, she collapsed.
The crisp chime of the system echoed, and a golden light radiated from both Nick and Mike.
Regrettably, aside from the attribute enhancements that came with leveling up, there were no other effects.
Nick remained unconscious on the ground, while Mike continued his frenzied pursuit of Abby.
[Ding! Congratulations to the awakened Howard’s Team for successfully defeating the Platinum-grade BOSS, Butterfly Fae Chieftain Serena. You’ve been awarded 60,000 experience points!]
The generous experience reward was bestowed, and Howard’s experience bar was almost full.
It had to be said, as they progressed, leveling up had indeed become significantly more challenging.
Even though Howard had consumed an Experience Amplifier Pill, and despite Nick and Mike consecutively leveling up, he hadn’t. His experience bar had only risen slightly.
However, upon seeing the reward, Howard felt no elation. Instead, he gazed with concern at Nick and Mike.
The BOSS had been defeated, so why hadn’t the skill effect vanished?
Howard had never encountered such a monster and was clueless about how to dispel the peculiar effect on Nick and Mike.
Noticing that Mike was still pursuing her, Abby’s complexion shifted subtly.
She hastily ran towards Howard, exclaiming, “Howard, what’s going on? The BOSS is dead, shouldn’t the effect have worn off by now? Or do we need a priest?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Howard shook his head, promptly grabbing Abby’s hand. Dodging Mike’s advances, he pondered over how to resolve the issue.
“Merely running won’t suffice.”
Suddenly, a voice emerged, startling Howard and Abby as it whispered near their ears.
Both Howard and Abby, taken aback, initially feared the appearance of another BOSS.
Swiftly turning to the source of the sound, they were relieved to see the graceful figure of Tana floating towards them.
Though neither Howard nor Abby was intimately acquainted with Tana, they recognized her as a mentor from the academy, bringing an immediate sense of relief.
As Tana gracefully approached, Abby blinked in surprise and abruptly inquired, “Mrs. Tana, we didn’t call for you. If you intervene, our assessment won’t be terminated immediately, will it?”
Upon hearing this, Tana cast a sidelong glance at Abby before replying with a smile, “Of course not. The assessment would only be halted if you sought our aid in the face of danger. Since the BOSS is already defeated, there won’t be any issues.”
“That’s a relief.”
Hearing Tana’s response, Abby couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
Howard then inquired, “Mrs. Tana, what exactly has happened to them? Why hasn’t the controlling effect on them ceased even after the BOSS has been defeated?”
Tana replied with a smile, “Normally, once the BOSS is defeated, its skill effect would become null. However, when reaching a certain power level, even if the BOSS is defeated, as long as the skill has taken its effect, it won’t fade with the BOSS’s demise. Instead, it will either last until its duration expires or until the toxin is dispelled.”
Casting a glance at the Butterfly Fae, Tana continued, “This particular Butterfly Fae has spent years absorbing various peculiar pollens, making it potently toxic. Hence, once afflicted, one would either need a top-tier priest to neutralize it or locate the Moonlight Herb and Clearheart Flower. Grinding them into a powder and allowing the afflicted to ingest it is essential. Otherwise, once the effect’s duration ends, they may face a fatal consequence.”
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Howard and Abby instantly turned grave.
Though they had known each other for only a short time, they had been comrades in battle and wouldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to their teammates.
“That’s 3000 seconds of duration, which means 50 minutes. We need to detoxify them within 50 minutes!”
Howard, with a glint in his eye, turned to Tana and asserted, “Mrs. Tana, since you’re here, you must have the ability to detoxify, right?”
“Indeed,” Tana replied with a smile. “You are indeed astute. The Moonlight Herb and Clearheart Flower are nearby. I can guide you there. However, as a mentor, I can’t directly intervene during your assessment. I can only support from the sidelines. If you encounter any monsters, you’ll have to fend for yourself.”
“Agreed, please lead the way!” Howard responded promptly.
Abby quickly interjected, “I’m coming too!”
“No,” Tana responded, shaking her head. “Mike and Nick cannot be left unattended here. Abby, you need to stay and protect them. Of course, I’ll also set up a formation here to ensure nearby monsters won’t detect your presence.”
“I see… Alright then,” Abby, not one to be easily baffled, recognized the necessity of having someone remain behind.
As for gathering the herbs, she was also apprehensive about encountering formidable monsters she might not be able to handle.
Logically and emotionally, it made sense for Howard to go.
However, as Abby cast a glance at Tana, a peculiar feeling stirred within her.
𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮